One of the NFL’s most exciting offenses just got even more dynamic. With the 25th selection of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected former Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
The addition of Aiyuk should make an already explosive offense even more dangerous in 2020. It’s no secret that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is one of the brightest offensive minds in all of football, and landing another weapon like Aiyuk should excite Shanahan very much.
Aiyuk is an impressive athlete that jumps off the screen. He punished wide receivers throughout his time at Arizona State. Aiyuk didn’t find a cornerback that he couldn’t run past. Aiyuk features strong hands and understands how to catch the football away from his frame. He was also used in jump-ball situations, showing the leaping ability and awareness to be a weapon in red-zone.
While all of those traits make Aiyuk an intriguing prospect, it’s his game-changing ability in space that made him a first rounder and such a good fit for the 49ers. Aiyuk did his best work after the catch, showing the breakaway speed and acceleration to be a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Aiyuk is simply put as twitchy of an athlete as it gets at the wide receiver position.
We saw how Kyle Shanahan used Deebo Samuel as a rookie. Shanahan was extremely creative with his usage of Samuel, and it lead to an excellent rookie season for the former Gamecock.
Shanahan is getting a similar weapon in Aiyuk, and we can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve for this season.
